


Consequences

by prinsessa_mouse



Series: Living in Uggr [10]
Category: Metalocalypse (Cartoon)
Genre: Charles being a stand up guy!, Divorce, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Lawyers, Lies, M/M, Past Domestic Violence, Pre-Dethklok, Skwisgaar finally opens his eyes, support system, supportive friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-10
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-13 21:35:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28660311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prinsessa_mouse/pseuds/prinsessa_mouse
Summary: Skwisgaar has a moment of clarity during a meeting with Charles before Dethklok is signed to Crystal Mountain Records.
Relationships: Magnus Hammersmith/Skwisgaar Skwigelf
Series: Living in Uggr [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2021879
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7





	Consequences

Dethklok landed a record deal sooner then any of them expected.

Pickles happily shrugged off the looming excitement. Magnus sat back watching the three younger members take in the experience of their first record deal. The veteran musicians knew the industry, understood the work that awaited them in the coming weeks with recording and gigs.

A party got held at the Hammersmith house with food and booze to celebrate. Everyone partied into the early hours of the mornings until they were all forced to clean up the house and themselves. They needed to be somewhat professional.

Today, they met privately with Charles Foster Offdensen.

They met with him in preparation for the official signing with Crystal Mountain Records on Friday. Each man sat in the waiting room of Charles’ posh office with a handful of legal paperwork. Pickles volunteered to go in first followed by Nathan and William. Charles called Magnus next which left Skwisgaar last.

The blonde looked over the folders in his lap. One contained copies of his Green Card, his marriage license and name change certificates, bank account information and the paperwork that Charles asked him to fill out. He checked over his paperwork to make sure he understood to the best of his knowledge what might come up in the meeting.

“Hey, its you’re turn sötnos. Want me to come in with you?” Magnus said flopping down onto the plush black leather couch.

“I ah have to meet with you each individually. Confidentiality and privacy even if you’re married,” Charles addressed the two men left in his waiting room. He noticed how quickly Pickles and Nathan cleared out, William hung around for a bit until he left for work. “Come on in Mr. Skwigelf.”

Magnus smiled fondly at his husband. “It’s not that bad. I’ll be waiting outside for you, okay? You’ll do great,” he said.

Skwisgaar hugged his files to his chest when he stood up and walked into Charles’ office. It was a rather classy office with comfortable plush leather chairs that matched the couches out in the waiting room. The lamps and décor were expensive looking in a beautiful burgundy shade with gold accents. Charles himself was a handsome man in his dapper gray suit and silk tie. Skwisgaar found him incredibly attractive for an older man. His brain worked up a few fantasies of Offdensen leaning him over that dark oak desk. The younger man took a seat in one of the armchairs and crossed his leg over his knee. His tight acid wash jeans clung to his thin legs, he wanted to show off that he had body. He wondered if Charles liked what he saw. God, he’d give anything for a five-minute free pass with a mature gentleman. He loved his husband but if he could get a free pass to hook up with another man, Charles would be the one.

“It is nice to finally meet you Skwisgaar. My name is Charles,” Charles said extending his hand politely.

The blonde took the offered hand and shook it.

Charles noticed the flirtatious way Skwisgaar acted and how a firm handshake caused his confidence to dwindle into a reserved nature. He was flattered by the attention; he found the blonde attractive though Pickles was more his type. He spent a great deal of his early career following Rory ‘Pickles’ T. Donnelley of Snakes N Barrels around. He loved the little redhead both as a friend and his client. The client sitting in front of him led a very eventful life before they met. From the two manila envelopes that Pickles and William handed Charles during their meetings, Skwisgaar needed legal help outside of the music industry dealings.

He gathered information from the bandmates. Whatever they could disclose to him, he wrote down for future use. Pickles mentioned an event of Skwisgaar coming over worried about being deported. The redhead went over the Green Card paperwork with him to reassure him that Charles could help him understand it. Pickles listed off enough instances of abuse to make the older man’s stomach turn. Nathan backed up those stories along with the pictures William took at the video store. Magnus sang like a canary when asked about his husband, gloating with great pride that he was married to a real winner.

Skwisgaar hugged the files to his chest protectively. He seemed quite quiet in the waiting room even during transitions. He kept to himself unless Magnus sat beside him then he might engage in a bit of conversation. He seemed to go over his files as if he needed to practice.

“This is a judgement free place. Whatever you tell me is strictly between us,” Charles said taking a seat in his chair. He placed his hands on his desk in a non-threatening manner to show his client trusting body language.

“Dids the others gives you the pictures and whats I want to talks about?”

Charles nodded, “Both Pickles and William brought the envelopes to me. I understand it was too risky for you to have them in your possession due to your ah situation at home. As advised the transfer went well and I’ve had some time to review what you’ve provided me. What did you bring with you?”

“My Greens Card applications, names change paperswork, marriage license and certificates. I am a bits worried about the legals side of my marriage and ifs I can be deported.”

He only briefly acknowledged Magnus’ copies of the marriage license and certificate. He spent more of his time listening to the older man talk. This tactic revealed a lot of information about the Hammersmith marriage. His general impression was Skwisgaar’s age and naïve nature made him an easy target. Magnus thrived on his younger husband’s struggle with English, used it as a method to keep him believing the older man was the only one who could take care of him.

“Can I take a look at those files of yours?”

Skwisgaar’s right hand surrendered the files over to the lawyer. His body tensed, he went on autopilot, he needed to fidget. His anxiety increased when Charles reclined back in his chair to study the paperwork handed to him. The blonde uncrossed his leg which made it easier to bounce his knee without knocking over something on Charles’ desk. His right hand instinctively went for his wedding ring. He twisted it, in his head he mentally went through the steps on how to breathe, he repeated little mantras that Pickles taught him when he got worked up.

_I have value, I am loved, I have friends who support me, the door is locked and I am safe, I am loved by my friends, my friends will help protect me, remember to breathe._

“Are you alright?” Charles inquired. He didn’t make a habit to getting too personal with clients unless completely necessary. Pickles was the exception and so would Skwisgaar. He’d be available whenever he got called to assist them.

“Ja justs nervous abouts our meeting Friday,” Skwisgaar fibbed. They met before as a group to discuss the record deal and offer with Crystal Mountain. Roy Cornickelson and Charles seemed genuinely enthused about the band based off the few meetings about the demos. His nerves were based off the lawyer looking at his files. He had a lot of questions that he hoped could be answered.

Charles heard the lie. He decided to leave it be, he went ahead to study the paperwork he asked Skwisgaar to fill out and found his first discrepancy. “You have listed Skwisgaar Skwigelf as your name on the documents I gave you but Hammersmith on your Green Card. Can you please ah walk me through that process please?” he inquired.

“I gots married to stays in the country.”

“Go on.”

Skwisgaar twisted his ring a few rotations around his finger to calm himself. “I comes to America when I was eighteens. I mets Magnus and stayed withs him whiles I toured with other bands. I applies for my Greens Card that what got approved. Magnus tolds me I needed to gets married. That’d keeps me in the country longer, harder to deports me. So, I marries him at twenty,” he trailed off. He aggressively wrenched his ring around his finger as he got worked up. He breathed in slowly, twisted his ring as he went through the mantras again.

“You said your Green Card was accepted. What gave you the impression that marriage was needed?” Charles asked next. He located the marriage license and name change document. He looked over the license, he noticed the letterhead from the chapel. An illegal marriage performed in a seedy chapel that had legal documents registered to the state of Florida. He composed himself to hide his disappointment based off these papers.

“Magnus tolds me that. I thoughts I was doings the rights thing. I didn’ts feel right abouts it though whens I found outs how the paperswork woulds be handled,” the younger man confessed. He never told anyone this before. He got severe anxiety after they consummated the marriage. He waited until Magnus fell asleep before he scrubbed himself down in the shower then snuck into their basement studio where he played guitar and cried while he studied his marriage documents. His worst fear was the legality of the paperwork, from his understanding he might have committed a crime if they were investigated.

The older man refrained from pinching the bridge of his nose due exasperation. “Skwisgaar, I am going to put this simply. You were welcomed into the country when your Green Card was accepted. You are a citizen. The marriage, all of these licenses, certificates from this chapel are proof you participated in an illegal act. There is proof of payment to make these documents official and to disappear,” Charles trailed off. He reminded himself not to ask the younger man what he was thinking when he got married and participated in this unlawful marriage.

“I only does it because he tolds me they coulds deport me,” the blonde whimpered.

Charles saw the distressed look on Skwisgaar’s face and tired not to tear into him. “Do you have any documentation with Skwigelf on it?” he asked next.

“Ja, my passport. I never changes it.”

“Good then I am going to list your official name with Crystal Mountain as Skwigelf. Any bank accounts still in that name?”

Skwisgaar stopped his fidgeting momentarily. “Ja, I transfers my money froms my Americans account to my accounts back in Sweden. Magnus hads our accounts joined. Can’ts risk him takings my money for drugs. I puts my studios cheques and a portions of my incomes into my other accounts. He doesn’ts notice. He thinks I pays the bills since that ams my job,” he sighed.

“That was a very smart idea, Skwisgaar. I’m going to treat your name the same as Pickles'. Skwigelf is essentially your performer name. I will bury the fact that you’re married to Magnus Hammersmith and share his last name. Much likes Pickles, I’ve buried his whole name from the public knowing. He is simply Pickles T. Drummer. You will be Skwisgaar Skwigelf. It becomes information only I am entitled too understood?”

The blonde nodded along.

“I want you to feel safe talking to me. Pickles and William both had a lot to say about your marriage. They documented a lot of abuse. I need you to tell me as much as you can. When it started, what type of abuse, how serious the injuries were, how frequent it happened and reasons. Whatever you can provide me, so I have a record for your Petition for Divorce,” Charles calmly explained. He pushed the box of Kleenex toward the blonde in case he needed one.

“I don’ts know if I shoulds files for divorce. I was mads and tired when I says that was whats I want to does.”

Charles adjusted his glasses. He gave the blonde a once over. What sat in front of him was a broken man, one in need of guidance and support. “Skwisgaar, I cannot make you file for divorce. Do I think you should? Yes, you’ve been manipulated and abused for four years. Pickles told me you’ve been considering divorce. There must be a reason you feel that might be an option for you,” he said.

“First times he hit me I didn’ts want to record and I tolds him I hated him. He slapped me on the face. When I crieds about it, he swore he’d nevers touch me likes that again. He didn’ts for a long times. I turned twenties, we gots married and he started hittings me more. When Magi does heroin, his patience ams short whens he is dopes sick or high. He destroys our homes, puts his cigarettes outs on my arm, pinches me, punches me ins the ribs, bruised my face many times. He scream ats me, says hurtfuls things, wouldn’ts lets me speaks Swedish, didn’t lets me have friends or job, mades me clean the house or reads to him,” Skwisgaar replied. He grabbed a Kleenex to wipe his watery eyes. “Whens he started to detox, he started carryings a knife, he ams unpredictables, he is awares of what he is doings sober now then he gets madder. I am scared of him most days if he don’t wakes up the Magi I loves. If he wakes up angries, he torments me alls day untils he breaks down then I can’t be means back.”

“He isolates you when he can,” Charles said scratching down all the information that Skwisgaar gave him onto his legal pad. “When you’re isolated at home because of the abuse how does he treat you?”

The blonde soaked up a few more tears and whispered out a response, “Mostly poorlies. He feels bads and wills make it ups to me. Tries to makes me feel better when I ams hurt.”

“Have you ever needed medical attention due to one of those altercations?”

“Nej, I mostly takes care of myself. Ice, Tylenols or Advil, rests. I talks to friends or my moms. Sometimes he woulds sits with me afterwards to takes care of me.”

Charles jotted down more notes. He allowed Skwisgaar some time to wipe away his tears before questioning him more. He wrote his notes quickly as not to keep his client waiting. Not bothering to look up he moved on with his meeting. “If we proceed with a Petition for Divorce it will need to be settled outside of court. How your marriage license was obtained makes a private agreement more favorable for us. If your marriage license and these documents were presented to a judge, we would have more than a divorce to settle. My idea is a settlement with an equal split of assets, let him keep the house and you move out,” he offered.

“Whats if he wont’s let me go?” Skwisgaar hesitated. His stomach ached severely; it turned the more they talked. His overactive brain set off alarm bells. His range of emotions went from enraged to devastated over Magnus lying to him. Their whole marriage was now rooted on mistrust. He trusted his husband when they discussed his Green Card application, he believed the advice given to him about staying in America. The biggest insult came when Charles used the word manipulated to describe the relationship. It opened Skwisgaar’s eyes that while he believed Magnus really did love him, he got taken advantage of due to his age and language barrier. A fresh batch of tears trailed down his cheeks. His husband trained him to be the most obedient of spouses, a trophy to show off in the band scene. The acidic bile sloshing about his stomach crept up his throat, his heart hammered aggressively in his chest. He refused to be sick in Charles’ office. Loving his husband had consequences. He regretted ever agreeing to stay the night, the courtship with gestures of affection that led to sex and them falling in love, he despised the marriage and how he’d always view his cherished memories as tainted with lies. A part of him would always love Magnus, he was a bit heartbroken though. He gave up a lot of tours, band offers, opportunities, friendships, his family to give himself fully over to his husband. His biggest passion in life was music and his husband even had control over that. The weight on his chest worsened when it hit him that all the signs were there, he chose to ignore them because he fell in love and allowed Magnus the right to govern his life.

“Then I will put the pressure on him. I’ll prepare the Petition document and keep it on file. When you’re ready to proceed then we’ll have him served.”

Skwisgaar grabbed another tissue as he wiped his face clean. “I ams really scared abouts this. He’ll knows somethings up when we’ve beens in here so long,” he replied.

“I am more than your lawyer and band manager, Skwisgaar. I can protect you if something goes wrong. You can trust me to handle a situation for you. If a fight gets out of hand with Magnus, call me and I’ll make sure you are safe,” Charles said. He closed his leather folio and clasped his hands together. He didn’t need to gather anymore information; Pickles walked the blonde through the legal paperwork, and he would need time to draft the Petition. He only needed to ask a few more questions. “Who else knows that you’re in an abusive relationship?”

“My moms and my bandmates ins Agnostic Priest.”

Charles planned to contact them, ask them to sign non-disclosure agreements to protect Skwisgaar and Magnus’ privacy during the growing popularity of Dethklok. “Are there any injuries right now you wish to disclose?” he asked next. William Murderface dated all the photos he took of Skwisgaar which built a very disturbing timeline for the lawyer.

“Nej, I provides photo of last times he hurt me,” Skwisgaar mumbled.

“Do you have any questions for me? Anything I can explain about your band contract, Green Card, marriage, Divorce Petition or how your name is going to be presented to the public?”

The blonde shook his head no. Pickles thoroughly explained the band contract and paperwork to him. He made sure Skwisgaar could repeat it back to him with extensive knowledge about what he signed.

“Do you feel safe going home tonight?” Charles regretted asking that question. He noticed the way his client’s knee started to bounce more, his whole presence shrunken for such a tall man, and he fidgeted with the balled-up damp tissues in his hand. His client didn’t feel safe, his client was terrified about reuniting with his husband out in the waiting room in case he learned about their conversation.

“I will be fines,” Skwisgaar sniffled.

Charles unclasped his hands to take one of his business cards from the holder on his desk. He pushed it towards the blonde. It sat within reach next to the Kleenex box. “That’s my card with all my contacts. You can call me anytime day or night. I will make myself available to help you, understood?” the older man implied.

“Tack.”

“Before you go back to your husband lets ah calm you down. Tell me all about who you are Skwisgaar,” Charles said leaning back in his chair. He knew he was overtime with his client, this was the longest meeting he had today, and Magnus would surely question Skwisgaar later. He’d advice him to use the language barrier excuse to save him the explanation. For now, he sat back ready to learn about the Swedish guitarist named Skwisgaar Mikael Skwigelf.

With a timid smile, Skwisgaar started at the beginning. By the time he explained twenty-one years of his life to Charles he understood the connection Pickles spoke of.

He could trust Charles with his life.

**Author's Note:**

> When I wrote this chapter I had Camila Cabello's song Consequences in mind. It seemed very fitting as Skwisgaar's eyes open and Charles is there with him talking about his marriage.  
> Something more hopeful!!  
> I hope you enjoy and happy reading <3


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